Calculating machine



Jan. 24, 1933. H. HOFFMEISTER 1,895,139

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Shea 1 12 F91 v j, 8

Amway.

l I I l L Jan. 24 1933. H. HOFFMEISTER 1,395,189

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 five/215227? flermannggj medstan Amer/2% Patented Jan. 24, 1933- UNITED srATrSs PATENT OFFICE HERMANN HOFFMEISTER, 0F GLIESMARODE NEAR BRUNSWICK, GERMANY, A SSIGNOR TO BRUNSVIGA-MASCHINENWERKE GRIMME, NATALIS & 00., .AKTIENGESELL- SCHAFT, BRAUNSGHWEIG, GERMANY, OF BRUNSWICK, GERMANY, A CORPORATION OF GERMANY oancuna'rme MAonmn Application filed July 23, 1927, Serial No. 208,012, and in Germany May 9, 1827.

My invention relates to improvementsin calculating machines of the type in which the numeral wheels are subdivided in several groups disposed in axial alignment one beside the other, the said groups of numeral wheels either forming parts of the same registering mechanism or providing independent registering mechanisms. In machines of this class resetting mechanism has been provided by means of which all the numeral wheels can be simultaneously reset, or each or a plurality of groups of numeral wheels can be reset independently of other groups. Mechanism of this type has been shown for example in the patent to Stemmler and Schaller, No. 1,061,137, of May 6, 1913. The object of the improvements is to. provide a calculating machine of this type in which a 26 single resetting shaft is provided for resetting all the groups of numeral wheels or some of the groups of numeral wheels, and with this object in view my invention consists in providing the said resetting shaft with a plurality of keys one for each group of numeral wheels and provided with fingers for resetting the numeral wheels and adapted to be separately shifted with the said fingers into position for engaging the numeral wheels.

For the purpose of explaining the invention an example embodying the same has been shown in the accompanying drawings, in which the same letters of reference lave been used in all the views to indicate corresponding parts. In said drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation showing a registering mechanism comprising two groups of numeral wheels, one numeral wheel 4 and 4 are mounted which provide bearings for a resetting shaft 1 having a crank 2 fixed thereto. On the said resetting shaft two groups of numeral wheels 15 and 15 are mounted in a manner known in the art. The r resetting shaft 1 is provided with a longitudinal groove having two slidable keys 3 and 3 shiftable therein, which keys are provided with fingers 20 and 20 adapted for engagement with pins 21 and 21 of the numeral coiled springs 11 and 11 tending to shift the keys with the fingers 20 and 20 respectively into and out of position for engagement with the pins 21 and 21 The hubs of the disks 4 and 4 are formed with cam faces 5 and 5 adapted for engagement with pins 17 and 17 fixed to the keys 3 and 3 the said cams controlling the movement of the keys 3 and 3 relatively to the pins 21 and 21 As shown the cam 5 is in the form of a lug projecting inwardly from the hub of the disk 4,

and the cam 5 is in the form of a recess made in the hub of the disk 4 Thus, when rotating the resetting shaft relatively to the disk 4:, as will be described hereinafter, the pin 17 gets out of engagement with the cam 5 so that the spring 11 shifts the bar 3 to the right to move the fingers 20 into position for engagement with the pins 21, until at the end of the rotary movement of the shaft 1 the pin 17 slides again on the cam 5 thus shifting the fingers 20 out of operative positions. In a similar way, when turning the shaft 1 relatively to the disk 4 the pin 17 slides on the cam 5 for throwing the fingers 20 into position for engagement with the pins 21 and at the end of the rotary movement of the shaft 1 the spring 11 shifts the key 3 to the left engagement with the pins 21 The disks 4 and 4 can be separately coupled to the shaft 1 by means of coupling disks 14 and 14 fixed to the said shaft. The

said coupling disks are formed at their cir-' 5 cumferences each with a slot 13 and 13 reaction of the springs 7 and 7 by keys 12 and 12 and when being thus forced inwardly the bolts 6 and 6 engage the slots 13 and 13 thus coupling the dlsks 4, 14 and 4, 14 respectively. To the outer faces of the side members 8 and 8 of the casin of the registering mechanism rings 10 and 10 are fixed, which are formed at their inner circumferences each with a slot 9 and 9 the slots 9 and 9 being located so that the bolts 6 and 6 are adapted to pass into the same, as appears from the left hand part of Fig. 1. But after 25 depressing the bolts 6 and 6 and turning the shaft 1 the bolts 6 and 6 are out of position for engagement with the slots 9 and 9 and they are held in depressed positions by the inner circumferences of the rings 10 and 10. i

When a bolt 6 or 6 is in its outward position shown at the left in Fig. 1 it engages the slot 9 or 9 thus fixing the annular disk 4 or 4 in position relatively to the rings 10 or disk 4 or 4 If now the resetting shaft 1 is turned through an angle of 360 for resetting a group of numeral wheels operable by said shaft t e pin 17 or 17 is shifted to the right by the cam 5 or 5 intoposition to engage the corresponding numeral wheels, so that the engaged group is reset, the bolt 6 engaging the slot 9 and fixing the disk 4 in position. At the end of the resetting movement of the shaft 1 the key 3 and pin 17 are returned into the position shown in Fig. 1 by the spring 11. If now a key such as 12 is depressed, the bolt 6 is moved out of the slot 9 and enters the 50 slot 13 of thegcoupling disk 14. Thus the disk 4 takes part in the rotary movement of the resetting shaft 1, and it does not shift the cor responding key 3 into resetting position. Thus the group of numeral wheels 15 is not reset. While turning the shaft 1 the bolt 6 is held in depressed position by the inner circumference of the ring '10. Thus depression of the keys 12 or 12 is necessary only at the beginning of the rotary movement of the resetting shaft.

In Fig. 1 I have shown two groups of numeral wheels forming a part of a single registering mechanism. It will be understood that the said groups may form separate 65 mechanisms. Such a modification is illus- 10 and preventing rotary movement of the" trated in Fig. 4, which shows a partition 25 between the said groups of numeral wheels.

While in describing the invention reference has been made to a particular example embodying the same I wish it to be understood that my invention is not limited to the construction shown in the drawings, and that various changes may be made in the general arrangement of the apparatus and the construction of its parts without departingv from the invention.

I claim:

1. In a calculating machine, the combination of registering means comprising a plurality of groups of axially alined registering members, a rotatable resetting shaft common to all of said groups said shaft having a continuous groove resetting means for each of said groups, including elements arranged in said groove in operative relation to the individual groups and means whereby said elements can be connected to all the groups of registering members to reset them all simultaneously or to any desired group for resetting its members independently of other groups.

2. In a calculating machine, the combination of registering means comprising a plurality of groups of axially alined registering members, arotatable resetting shaft common to all of said groups said shaft having a continuous groove, and separate resetting means for each of said groups, including a separate key in said groove for each of said groups, and means for selectively connecting the keys to the registering members in the operation of the resetting shaft to reset such groups either simultaneously or independently.

3. In a calculating machine, the combination of registering means comprising a plurali-ty of groups of axially aligned registering members, a rotatable resetting shaft extending axially of all of said groups, means for holding said shaft against endwise movement at all times, and mechanism. for selectively connecting the shaft to any one or all of the registering members for resetting the ,same on rotation of the shaft.

4. In a calculating machine, the combination of registering means comprising a plurality of groups of axially alined registering members, a rotatable resetting shaft supporting all of said groups, means for holding said shaft against endwise movement, spaced disks on the shaft having cams on ad acent faces, means for selectively connecting the tatable resetting shaft supporting all of said groups, means for holding said shaft against endwise movement, keys slidable on said shaft for engaging the numeral wheels to cause them to rotate With the resetting shaft, and means for selectively connecting the shaft to all or less than all of said groups.

7. A device as in claim 6, said keys being arranged in a common groove extending lengthwise of the resetting shaft.

8. In a calculating machine, the combination of registering means comprising a plurality of groups of axially alined numeral wheels, a rotatable resetting shaft extending axially through all of said wheels and forming a support therfor, means for holding said shaft against longitudinal movement at all times, means for operating the resetting means including a cam disk on said shaft for 2 each group, means normally holding each disk against rotation to cause resetting of the corresponding registering member on rotation of the shaft, and manual means for releasing said holding means selectively whereby either all of said groups may be reset at oncle or the groups may be reset independent y.

9. In a calculating machine, the combination of a casing, registering means in the casing comprising a plurality of groups of axially alined registering members, a rotatable resetting shaft extendin across the casing and common to all of sai groups, means for holding said shaft against endwise movement, a plurality of keys in a longitudinal groove in said shaft; disks on the shaft ad jacent opposite walls of the casing said disks having cams on their respective inner faces. for selectively connecting said keys to said registering wheels on rotation of the shaft to cause the wheels to rotate with the shaft, spring-pressed bolts carried by said disks, fixed abutments normally engaged by said bolts to lock the disks against rotation with 4 said shaft, manual means for disengaging said bolts from said abutments, and means to hold the bolts out of locking position until the shaft returns to normal position.

10. In a calculating machine, a plurality 5 of cooperating registering members, a rotatable resetting shaft extending axially through all sald members, and devices movable endwise of the shaft but constrained to rotate therewith said devices being adapted to be connected either simultaneously or individually to the registering members for resetting them.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HERMANN HOFFMEISTER. 

